The Gift of Adventure
My Nautical Bohemia Collection is all about falling in love with adventure. Whether it’s literal or metaphorical, it’s the journeys that we embark upon in life that make us who we are. Whether it’s taking a trip, going on a long run, making a new friend, entering a romantic relationship, starting a new job… there is always a new adventure waiting for us to embrace.
On November 9, I celebrated my 40th birthday and treated myself to a day of working toward a goal that I hope to master, which is to captain a boat in the Caribbean. With an actual captain by my side, I took out a 25’ Mimsa, which is a Mexican skiff. It was my first time to navigate the boat outside the reef, into the deep blue waters of the sea. It was a relatively calm day, but we had some ‘waves’ to roll with as we cruised along, approaching the channel back through the reef.
We dropped the anchor a few times to enjoy the calm, quiet day at sea and ended the day watching a sunset unlike any I’d ever seen before. As the sun crept behind the horizon, it displayed hues of every color of the rainbow, flickering throughout the orb as the sky faded from cerulean blue to dark blue green twilight.
It was pure magic.
I was supposed to have the boat back before sunset, but rolled the dice and decided to beg for forgiveness, if need be… it didn’t end up being an issue, and it was well worth the gamble because had I followed every instruction that day, I would have missed out on something meaningful and spectacular.
I’m not suggesting breaking rules all the time, but in this instance, I knew it wouldn’t do much harm, if any, and it elevated my birthday experience to new heights… I literally gifted myself with an adventure.
When I launched my Nautical Bohemia Collection, a series of tropical, nautical themed paintings on retired catamaran sails, I wanted to create art that represents ideas of embracing all of the ebbs and flows of life… the warm sunny days, the ones when our noses get so stuffy because we cannot stop crying, the uncertainty behind difficult decisions, the moments when our sides hurt because we cannot stop laughing, and everything in between.
No journey exists without bumps in the road, or swells in the sea, it’s how we navigate around them that gives us strength and character.
Unfortunately, due to covid, as we social distance and spend most of our time at home, we have all become a bit starved of adventure, but it’s something we all deserve to embrace. As we settle into this holiday season amidst a global pandemic, things are going to feel different. My suggestion is to gift yourself with little (or big) adventures along the way. Whether its something physical like going on a long bike ride, or learning a new kind of dance, or metaphorical like repainting a room in your house, or investing in a piece of art or furniture that allows you to explore your space in a new way… or even picking up your phone to check in on someone and rekindle an old friendship…
Whatever it is, gift yourself with adventure, and fall in love with it every step of the way.
*If you’re ready to treat yourself to travel to the Caribbean, Mpulse Studio has partnered with Drift Inn Hotel, in San Pedro, Belize, and is offering 25% off your stay with the code: Mpulse2020 - click here to learn more, and book your stay. This offer is good through Dec 31.